bmags

And it's not like the drinking in the greek system is a dirty little secret, there is an open dialogue constantly among how to end the drinking culture, including a system called GAMMA which educates about alcohol. Just last night was the finals for RAMS (rockin against multiple sclerosis) which raised thousands for MS. I think where people get fired up when questioned how to end the stereotype comes from the treatment of the greek system from the University. Here at Mizzou, despite a strong and active greek system, the school treats us like they just have to 'tolerate' us. And we feel used. We set up the entire campus for them for homecoming, decorate the town, the steering committee is pretty much all greek. Yet, when an incident happens the school uses it to drop the hammer. And they pick in choose when to include us as part of the campus, for certain rules, we are on campus. For snow removal, we are off campus. Greeks comprise of so much of the student organizations, have better GPAs, thousands of hours of community service, hundreds of thousands dollars donated to charity, and the treatment isn't embracing us, but just tolerating the system. And per your suggestion, Tex, most fraternities require, well, mine and many at mizzou, require you to join some # of student orgs, and they have to raise a set amt. of money for our philanthropy.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 10:08 PM) And what will fraternities do to improve their name? I don't know about other campuses, but in Missouri we basically set up all the homecoming activities for the school, organize two of the largest blood drives in the country, lots of community service and money given to charities. I never thought I'd make this post.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 10:22 PM) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23271556/ And in the one instance the paper did decide to print, This was more about drive-by journalism that actual news reporting. yeah, not at odds with my post at the top of my page. I've read a lot on this. My point is the scandal wouldn't be over that he x'd her, rather that the "straight shootin express" is another patronage patty

QUOTE(southsider2k5 @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 02:18 PM) So sex matters again for the Democrats? This was less about the sex, more about the favors for her company in question.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 11:38 PM) uh, I read that... and if thats all they got lol yeah, I'm shocked. TPM has basically confirmed that there is nothing else the Times has. And what they have ain't much. The New York Times has had an awful decade.

how bout this clinton 527 ad campaign? I can't believe they are gonna use negative 527's against their own party.

QUOTE(Dick Allen @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 07:37 PM) I remember back in 2001 when the Sox were struggling and ready to cut bait with Wells, Ohka was a rumored aquisition from Boston. I was just thinking that

I mean, whatever your convictions, it is a poor attitude to despise other people for the way they live their life, except of course, if they are destructive to those around them. I laugh off the stupidity of some of the people around me, and I admire (and am somewhat intimidated) by those so successful in school, but I don't hold myself above those who aren't as intelligent or don't make the same choices as me. I work my ass off in school, and the way I blow off steam may be different than the way you blow off steam, but it doesn't mean yours is any more respectable or productive than mine.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 06:57 AM) We'll see, I suppose that is possible. But I think if they had the goods on this, why not include it in the article? Maybe they are just getting desperate and think going the Drudge route could help boost sales. Even if they believe the story, they still need something substancial (which the article did not contain). Hell, Dan Rather was even sure his GW report was right, even after getting busted going on air with forged documents. It was almost like he never really understood why it was such a big deal, because he truly believed what he was reporting. Thing is, even if it IS true, you still can't just go with a big story like this with no proof or false evidence. What a HUGE shot to the Times credibility if they got busted in a Dan Rather like scandal. the rather story was pushed by the 60 minutes producers who have since been fired. I've read that the producers sat on some info questioning it but didn't act despite resistance in the mail room. And the thing is, it says his aides "fearing a sexual rel'ship", not explicitly saying he's having one. That's a tap dance around libel, but even so, the suit is still expensive as hell. I bet they have something.

QUOTE(WilliamTell @ Feb 21, 2008 -> 06:03 AM) What a great time for the New York Times to have this come out now. Supposively they've had this story for a while. Hey if a couple of Democrat presidents have had relationships with others in office, why not a Republican hopeful 8 years before. I'm not condoning any of this one bit though. I don't know, I think the times has to worry about libel in a time like this. Any expensive lawsuits like that would be can really hurt a paper now that they are all strapped financially

damn it, i come in for just 5 minutes and here I'm here for 30 when I should be studying!

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 11:03 PM) Just saw a guy from the Obama campaign giving an interview. He was asked to give one Obama accomplishment, the guy just blabbed about change or something stupid... interviewer said "No, give me a specific accomplishment". Guy from Obama campaign was like "we can't really give anything specific". actually, I believe you are talking about the chris matthews interview with a TX state sen. and former mayor of Austin? Yeah he actually wrote an apology on his web site for that. He said he froze up.

he's the new Brian Giles!

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 20, 2008 -> 10:25 PM) He didn't break any of the regulations, but somehow this is a scandal? Seriously, you guys are really stretching on this issue. If thats all the major "scandal" with McCain, he is in good shape. Well the thing is it's a hell of a strategy. Remember, this was made back in december, so if he dropped out of the race, he would've been paying off the debts with public funding. Obviously it paid off, but I mean this is the guy that created the campaign finance reform, if anything this just kind of proves it's not a reality. They are just going to circumvent it. Has any change really happened? the races have become more expensive at just as high a rate.

balta, do you just scan different news sites...or what do you read to get linked all over the place? Any favorites?

not trying to start anything, and but I did find this interesting, branching from what balta posted, because it seemed to add an additional element: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/...ked_on_taxp.php "As The Washington Post reported on Saturday, John McCain's campaign struck a canny deal with a bank in December. If his campaign tanked, public funds would be there to bail him out. But if he emerged as the nominee, there'd be no need for public financing, since the contributions would come flowing. It's an arrangement that no one has ever tried before. And it appears that McCain, who has built his reputation on campaign finance reform, was gaming the system. Or as a campaign finance expert who preferred to remain anonymous told me, referring to the prominent role that lobbyists have as advisers to his campaign, "This places McCain’s grandstanding on public financing in a new light. True reformers believe public financing is a way to replace the lobbyists’ influence, not a slush fund that the lobbyists use to pay off campaign debts." Here's the back story. As of December, McCain was still enrolled in the public financing system, but had yet to actually receive any public matching funds. The Federal Election Commission had certified that the campaign would be receiving $5.8 million in public funds. But they wouldn't get that money for a couple more months. In need of even more cash beyond the $3 million loan he'd already secured from a Maryland bank (he'd taken out a life insurance policy as collateral), the McCain campaign was stuck in a bind. They needed more money, but the bank needed collateral. The promise of those public matching funds (to the tune of more than $5 million) was the only collateral the campaign could offer. But there was a problem with that. Using that promised money as collateral would have bound McCain to the public financing system, according to FEC rules. And the McCain camp wanted to avoid that, because the system limits campaigns to spending $54 million in the primary (through August). That would mean McCain would get seriously outspent by the Democratic nominee through the summer. (McCain has separately pledged to enroll in the system for the general election; that would give him $85 million in taxpayer funds for use after the party convention through Election Day but bar other contributions.) So here's what the McCain campaign did. They struck a deal with the bank that simultaneously allowed his campaign to secure public funds if necessary, but did not compel his campaign to stay in the public system if fundraising went well (i.e. if he won the nomination). As McCain's lawyer told the Post, "We very carefully did not do that." He was not promising to remain in the system -- he was promising to drop out of the system, and then opt back in if things went poorly. In that event, the $5.8 million would still be waiting for him. And he'd just hang around to collect it, even if he'd gotten drubbed in New Hampshire and the following states. You can see the agreement here. The relevant paragraph is on page two. Sizing it up, Mark Schmitt writes at Tapped: What we know is that McCain found a way to use the public funds as an insurance policy: If he did poorly, he would use public funds to pay off his loans. If he did well, he would have the advantage of unlimited spending. There's a reason no one's ever done anything like this. It makes a travesty of the choice inherent in voluntary public financing, between public funds and unlimited spending. " I quoted talkingpointsmemo because they explained it the best, but obviously some colorful language. They did win a Pulitzer though, for their excellent reporting on the attorney scandal.

QUOTE(CWSGuy406 @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 03:21 AM) Anyone like The Cool Kids? If so, is there anywhere I can download "88" and "Mikey Rocks"? I can only find "Black Maggs" (excellent and kind-of funny music video, BTW). honestly if you just google the cool kids totally flossed out EP link you could get it.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 08:24 PM) I would attribute low GOP voting turnout to a massive dept, unpopular war, and slumping economy under a Republican president. Republicans just aren't as fired up as the Dems are, and it's obvious when you look at voter turn out in the primaries. I don't think McCain is going to run into problems of getting support from the GOP if he is president. But this is definitely a big opportunity for the Democrats to get some of their programs in place. If they can't beat the GOP in the current atmosphere, they really have some problems. I think you are right about a turn in direction for a while, but a big issue is going to be if these Democrat programs actually work or not. The Democrats last political dominance was coming off a big WWII win, which left much of the world in shambles and the US basically untouched and ready to take the lead in the world economy. It will be interesting to see if these new big social programs end up working. True, but it also depends on how well they build their party or how charismatic Obama ... or clinton, can establish it the party anyways. I'm looking at Jackson, whose policies weren't that effective (looking at the bank) but his party kept power largely because of him for decades. edit; good show, this might help me on my test.

well, i think it's certain she will lose Hawaii and Wisconsin at least.

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 07:12 PM) Which brings me to a question. If you think about it, the "superdelagates" is the epitome of old school. These were put in place after Goldwater got his ass blown out by Nixon. It is to basically fly in the nose of the voter block and give the "superdelegate" the power to overthrow a more popular candidate should the need arise. Well, it looks like the Clintons are about to denonate the nuclear bomb, even if Obama is more popular by delegate count. You know damn well they will, because this is all about Hillary getting her due. It really cracks me up (read: it's hypocritical as hell) when all I heard back in 2000 "LET EVERY VOTE COUNT" to watch this whole superdelegate thing come up in the Democrat arena now. Or am I totally missing something here? I'm not trying to throw stones, I'm being serious when I ask this. See, I just really disagree that a primary is the same as a general election. The party has the right to choose their own candidate in a situation this close. The primary is nice and lets the party see who can engage the voters to vote, but right now you have 2 candidates who are doing that, and they have the right to decide which will be leading their party. This is different than an election, this wouldn't be like 1824, primaries help the party pick a candidate that people will like in the general election, this isn't the government deciding the president based on politics after the people voted in plurality between 3 presidential candidates. After this, they still have another election to choose their president, it isn't handing over power to another person for 4 years.

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 19, 2008 -> 06:38 PM) McCain pretty much has the GOP totally with him. The main split is with the radical neo-cons on the radio and stuff (who admittedly have a lot of pull with certain voting blocks of the party). The Dems seem a lot more split, with Obama and Clinton running neck and neck, in what could turn out to be the nastiest primary in history (super delegate controversy). Even with the long primary battle, I think this will be a good year for the Dems at the polls. It's going to be really hard for them to blow this election. I don't mean to look like I'm giving legitimacy to Rush Lumbaughs and they must be a voice of the Republicans, but I think there is some truth to it in the low Republican voting for McCain, but I don't doubt that Republicans are going to vote and fight full force for McCain in the face of a Clinton or Obama ticket. It's just I believe that liberalism can take the offensive right now in a way that conservatism is not (not to say that conservatism has no agenda, it's just they aren't seen as proactive like in the past). With a dem. congress, Obama/Clinton can make the fight for more control of the banks with the mortgage crisis, fight for health care, ending war v. fighting war, etc. These goals seem like they are going to do something, as opposed to the Democratic candidates of past where their only goals were "Stop doing what they are doing". I'm not going to argue it's merits because I don't care to, I'm just looking at the situation of the Republicans and it seems after about 2 decades their policies have become outmoded, and you are starting to see them say "we're going to bring it back to Reagan", Reagan, new party founder and builder, but McCain doesn't have the charisma or respect IMO in the party to lead it in any real way. Looking at it like this, I wonder if the democrats realize how much is at stake with their election. The goals and policies of this next president will likely guide the party for probably the next decade at least, if that is indeed where we are at.

I suppose I only have 2 lecture halls this year but none are of the 500 kid variety.

sit up front. I thought about this stuff today though.

I'm reading this theory about looking at presidency's in political time. I'm not sure I can see where we stand right now. Either George Bush is the end of the Reagan political dynasty, and with Clinton you can argue he would be the Eisenhower sandwich during a democratic political reign, or or if Clinton brought this new party of democrats. I don't really see that with clinton b/c he didn't really institutionally change anything, (imo), so that means we could possibly be on the cusp of a new democratic dynasty or an even more official end to the Reagan Republicans, their party is too fragmented in fiscal conservativism and domestic issues. But that said if Obama wins, I can see him as more of a Jackson, one who has some institutional changes (immigration/health care), but is more effective as a party builder. With Clinton, i could see her doing more institutional changes in the ilk of FDR, but fragmenting her party's conservatives (and yes there are those). But if McCain wins, he's really be in for a tough presidency, imo, there'd be lines drawn in the party in addition to major issues in the country that he'd be fighting to get whatever policy he has through. Was just thinking about this. Largely based off of Skowronek's model. I'm studying too much actual stuff so I figured I should waste time theorizing in the Texas Primary thread.

as someone with freckles this thread is a blow to the ego.